1957 150 Pound Football Team

The Record

The Team

Undefeated First Season —- Army 7 and Navy 0

Here are “John Brinson”‘s recollections of that first season from his emails earlier this year. He obviously has better recollection than the rest of us. It probably seems like ancient history now. A great experience.

The asterisk denotes Navy star, which we all received. (Somehow mine was omitted from the Howitzer. How’ll I ever convince my grandchildren I was there?)

We were all there on that final drive of 45 yards, running on every play, 4 yards, 5 yards, 4 yards until we got to the goal line, and “Ralph Wensinger” took it over behind Brad and the rest of us. They couldn’t stop us.

Yes, Ralph was a Classmate of ours, and a great quarterback. KIA, RVN

There were 600 at the screening in May; 150 made it to the tryouts in September; Coach “Eric Tipton” had 2 weeks to cut the squad to 48, teach plays, and play our first game. All 6 of us made the starting team. Center, LG, LT, LE, QB, RB.

Brad was elected team captain, and a good one he was.

This Fall, 52 years!

John —–

Class of 58 Starters

QB “Ralph Wensinger” (’59 x ’58) KIA, RVN Ralph was ’58 for 3 years.

RB “Jude Thiebert”

Center “Brad Johnson”

LG “Bill Shely”

LT “John Brinson”

LE “Dick Schonberger”

We were all starters – first team. It was not easy making the starting team, because the coach rightfully preferred Yearlings, then Cows, who would return next season. We played both offense and defense – under the then-current NCAA rules.

We were undefeated, beat Navy, and won the (EIAA) Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship in Army’s first year – in a league that had been dominated by Navy for years. It was great fun. President Eisenhower attended one of our games.

(Note:) My recollection is two games that year, one when the President was visiting WP and came down on a Friday evening and the other was the first 150# A/N game at Annapolis Our great coach, “Eric Tipton”, went on to become the all-time winningest coach in Army history (lightweight football, baseball).

Eric was All-America at Duke in 1938, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965. We all loved him, and honored him at a 150 lb. reunion at West Point in 1993 when he was 78 years old. He died at age 86.

The material below this point is a site a work area.

The '54 Crest

28th Infantry Regiment Black Lion Award is intended to go to the person on his team "who best exemplifies the character of Don Holleder: leadership, courage, devotion to duty, self-sacrifice, and - above all -

an unselfish concern for the team ahead of himself."

"The Army moves as a team, eats as a team, and fights as a team."

The '55 Crest

Don Holleder Remember - The Soldiers you will lead Always Come First

Vann and Holleder

9 Army A's

The '56 Crest

The '57 Crest

Can Do

Gen Van Fleet addressing the Corps prior to the Navy Game

Constructed under supervision of Jay Gould "54 and the Ord Dept from a German Rocket Gun captured at Kasserine Pass. First used in the Duke Game.

28th Infantry Regiment Black Lion Award is intended to go to the person on his team "who best exemplifies the character of Don Holleder: leadership, courage, devotion to duty, self-sacrifice, and - above all - an unselfish concern for the team ahead of himself."